Loboc River
Encyclopedia
The Loboc River is a river on Bohol Island, the Philippines. It is one of the major tourist destinations of Bohol, local and foreigners alike. The winding river plays host to cruises on board of small bancas or floating restaurants. Visitors are treated to a vista of lush tropical vegetation such as nipa palms, coconut trees, banana groves, and bushes.
before the Spaniards established the town in 1602. The early inhabitants made homes along the river.
It was in early 1980s that the idea to promote the Loboc River as a tourist destination started.
) or at the Poblacion
of Loboc
. The Loay Bridge is 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from Tagbilaran City
while the Poblacion is about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) away. Small motorized bancas can be chartered for a minimal fee. For those who want to eat while cruising, floating restaurants are available offering Filipino cuisine buffet and local delicacies that costs P280 per head or more.
With the tourism fever, the floating restaurants were envisioned providing tourists with a first class dining experience on board floating restaurants. The floating vessels are made up of a covered platform on top of two large outrigger boats which are joined together. The boats can accommodate up to 50 people.
Most of the floating restaurant
s treat their guests with Boholano songs played by in-boat bands during the cruise. The trip winds up the river and ends at the Busay Falls which is only one and a half meter at most. Here, the guests are treated to rondalla music by a local rondalla group housed under a floating cottage.
Local folks usually take a dip in the waters and enjoy bathing under the falls. Guests who have brought with them extra clothes are welcome to swim and bathe and experience the heady feeling of a refreshing swim in the river’s unpolluted waters.
Going to and from the Busay Falls, visitors are treated to a spectacle of children diving from a large coconut tree that is leaning out towards the river. One will feel a bit tense seeing the children climbing up the tree and then plunging towards the deep waters. From the looks of it, the part of the tree where the children usually dive from is more than 10 feet (3 m) from the river.
Along the way, one can see children swimming and people passing by in small bancas or canoes. Upstream, and located on the eastern bank of the river, the Nuts Huts Resort is seen. This resort is a favorite hang-out for bikers and hikers who prefer the peaceful and scenic surroundings of the river bank rather than the majestic allure of the sea.
Another area worth visiting is where wild chickens, turtles, and pythons are kept in captivity. On this trips, visitors are given the time to marvel at the surrounding landscape. After a while, the return trip starts. Since the trip is going downstream, it takes a shorter time for the boats to arrive at the starting point.
History
The river plays a significant role in the history of LobocLoboc, Bohol
Loboc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is mere 24 km away from Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital of Bohol. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 16,299 people. It is the Music Capital of Bohol....
before the Spaniards established the town in 1602. The early inhabitants made homes along the river.
It was in early 1980s that the idea to promote the Loboc River as a tourist destination started.
Tourism
A cruise along the river starts either from the Loay Bridge (in LoayLoay, Bohol
Loay is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 15,881 people. The population has 2 parts, the lower and the upper parts. The lower part used to be called Canipa-an because of the presence of nipa swamps in this part of...
) or at the Poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
of Loboc
Loboc, Bohol
Loboc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is mere 24 km away from Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital of Bohol. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 16,299 people. It is the Music Capital of Bohol....
. The Loay Bridge is 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines and serves as its capital. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², with about 13 km of coastline...
while the Poblacion is about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) away. Small motorized bancas can be chartered for a minimal fee. For those who want to eat while cruising, floating restaurants are available offering Filipino cuisine buffet and local delicacies that costs P280 per head or more.
With the tourism fever, the floating restaurants were envisioned providing tourists with a first class dining experience on board floating restaurants. The floating vessels are made up of a covered platform on top of two large outrigger boats which are joined together. The boats can accommodate up to 50 people.
Most of the floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
s treat their guests with Boholano songs played by in-boat bands during the cruise. The trip winds up the river and ends at the Busay Falls which is only one and a half meter at most. Here, the guests are treated to rondalla music by a local rondalla group housed under a floating cottage.
Local folks usually take a dip in the waters and enjoy bathing under the falls. Guests who have brought with them extra clothes are welcome to swim and bathe and experience the heady feeling of a refreshing swim in the river’s unpolluted waters.
Along the way, one can see children swimming and people passing by in small bancas or canoes. Upstream, and located on the eastern bank of the river, the Nuts Huts Resort is seen. This resort is a favorite hang-out for bikers and hikers who prefer the peaceful and scenic surroundings of the river bank rather than the majestic allure of the sea.
Another area worth visiting is where wild chickens, turtles, and pythons are kept in captivity. On this trips, visitors are given the time to marvel at the surrounding landscape. After a while, the return trip starts. Since the trip is going downstream, it takes a shorter time for the boats to arrive at the starting point.